Best TV Shows of 2008
The 40 most popular TV shows that premiered in 2008, most watched first, with a vote floor so obscure titles do not crowd out the ones people remember.
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40 titles · updated 3rd October 2026
1.The Mentalist(2008)
8.4CrimeDramaMystery
Patrick Jane, a former celebrity psychic medium, uses his razor sharp skills of observation and expertise at "reading" people to solve serious crimes with the California Bureau of Investigation.
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2.Breaking Bad(2008)
9.0DramaCrime
Walter White, a New Mexico chemistry teacher, is diagnosed with Stage III cancer and given a prognosis of only two years left to live. He becomes filled with a sense of fearlessness and an unrelenting desire to secure his family's financial future at any cost as he enters the dangerous world of drugs and crime.
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3.Batman: The Brave and the Bold(2008)
7.6AnimationAction & AdventureSci-Fi & Fantasy
The Caped Crusader is teamed up with Blue Beetle, Green Arrow, Aquaman and countless others in his quest to uphold justice.
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4.Sons of Anarchy(2008)
8.4CrimeDrama
The Sons of Anarchy (SOA) are an outlaw motorcycle club with many charters in the United States and overseas. The show focused on the original and founding charter, Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club, Redwood Original, often referred to by the acronym SAMCRO, Sam Crow, or simply Redwood Charter. The charter operates…
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5.Fringe(2008)
8.1Sci-Fi & FantasyDramaMystery
FBI Special Agent Olivia Dunham, brilliant but formerly institutionalized scientist Walter Bishop and his scheming, reluctant son Peter uncover a deadly mystery involving a series of unbelievable events and realize they may be a part of a larger, more disturbing pattern that blurs the line between science fiction and…
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6.Star Wars: The Clone Wars(2008)
8.5Action & AdventureSci-Fi & FantasyAnimation
Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Mace Windu and other Jedi Knights lead the Grand Army of the Republic against the droid army of the Separatists.
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7.Murdoch Mysteries(2008)
7.7MysteryDrama
A Victorian-era Toronto detective uses then-cutting edge forensic techniques to solve crimes, with the assistance of a female coroner who is also struggling for recognition in the face of tradition, based on the books by Maureen Jennings.
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8.True Blood(2008)
7.6Sci-Fi & FantasyDramaMystery
Thanks to a Japanese scientist's invention of synthetic blood, vampires have progressed overnight from legendary monsters to fellow citizens. And while humans have been safely removed from the menu, many remain apprehensive about these creatures "coming out of the coffin." Religious leaders, government officials, and…
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9.The Penguins of Madagascar(2008)
7.5AnimationComedyFamily
The adventures of four penguins—Skipper, Kowalski, Private, and Rico, who perform various commando-like missions to protect their home in the Central Park Zoo. The penguins often have to deal with problems caused, or made worse, by their zoo neighbors, King Julien XIII (a ring-tailed lemur), Maurice (an aye-aye), and…
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10.Childrens Hospital(2008)
7.0Comedy
A hospital isn't a place for lazy people. It's a place for smart people who take care of people who aren't smart enough to keep themselves healthy. So begins Children's Hospital, a parody series that follows the lives, loves and laughs of a hospital staff.
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11.Merlin(2008)
7.8Action & AdventureDramaSci-Fi & Fantasy
The unlikely friendship between Merlin, a young man gifted with extraordinary magical powers, and Prince Arthur, heir to the crown of Camelot.
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12.In Treatment(2008)
7.7Drama
The intimate confines of psychotherapy sessions are seen from the perspective of a therapist and individual patients.
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13.The Secret Life of the American Teenager(2008)
6.8DramaComedy
Amy and her friends at Grant High learn to define themselves while they navigate the perilous waters of contemporary adolescence. Between their love triangles, secrets, drama, accusations, gossip, confusion, and scandalous rumors, there's never a dull moment.
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14.90210(2008)
5.7Drama
90210 revolves around several students at the fictional West Beverly Hills High School, including new Beverly Hills residents Annie Wilson and Dixon Wilson. Their father, Harry Wilson, has returned from Kansas to his Beverly Hills childhood home with his family to care for his mother, former television and theater…
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15.In Plain Sight(2008)
7.0DramaAction & AdventureCrime
U.S. Marshal Mary Shannon must hunt down witnesses for federal cases in the witness protection program while also managing a rather dysfunctional family and her own personal life.
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16.Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles(2008)
7.5Sci-Fi & FantasyDramaAction & Adventure
The series picks up four years after the events of Terminator 2: Judgment Day with John and Sarah Connor trying to stay under-the-radar from the government, as they plot to destroy the computer network, Skynet, in hopes of preventing Armageddon.
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17.Leverage(2008)
7.6DramaComedyAction & Adventure
A five-person team comprised of a thief, a grifter, a hacker, and a retrieval specialist, led by former insurance investigator Nathan Ford, use their skills to fight corporate and governmental injustices inflicted on ordinary citizens.
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18.Kid vs. Kat(2008)
7.9Action & AdventureAnimationComedy
Ten-year-old Coop Burtonburger's life takes a turn for the worse when his little sister, Millie, brings home a mysterious stray cat who, in reality, is an evil cybernetic alien in disguise. To make matters worse, neither his family nor anyone else believes him, except for his best friend, Dennis. Now, Coop risks his…
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19.Underbelly(2008)
6.5Drama
Underbelly is an Australian television true crime-drama series, each series is a stand alone story based on real-life events.
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20.Flashpoint(2008)
7.3DramaAction & Adventure
The Strategic Response Unit (SRU) is an elite team of cops who specialize in high-risk critical incidents. Trained in tactics and psychology, they deal with extreme situations, where split-second decisions could save a life...or cost one.
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21.Sanctuary(2008)
7.3Action & AdventureSci-Fi & Fantasy
The adventures of the beautiful, enigmatic and always surprising Dr. Helen Magnus, a brilliant scientist who holds the secrets of a clandestine population called Abnormals—a group of strange and sometimes terrifying beings that hide among humans. Magnus seeks to protect this threatened phenomena as well as unlock the…
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22.Legend of the Seeker(2008)
7.4Sci-Fi & FantasyAction & AdventureDrama
The adventures of woodsman Richard Cypher, who discovers that he was born to fulfill a prophecy of becoming a guardian hero to oppressed people. With the help of a mysterious woman named Kahlan and a wise old wizard named Zedd, he must stop a ruthless and bloodthirsty tyrant from unleashing an ancient evil and…
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23.The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack(2008)
8.1AnimationComedySci-Fi & Fantasy
A young boy who grew up inside a talking whale sets sail for magical Candied Island, accompanied by Capt. K'nuckles, a crusty old pirate.
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24.Ben 10: Alien Force(2008)
8.3AnimationSci-Fi & FantasyAction & Adventure
15-year-old Ben Tennyson chooses to once again put on the Omnitrix and discovers that it has recalibrated and can now transform him into 10 brand-new aliens. Joined by his super-powered cousin Gwen Tennyson and his equally powerful former enemy Kevin Levin, Ben is on a mission to find his missing Grandpa Max.
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25.True Jackson, VP(2008)
7.9ComedyKidsFamily
A 15-year-old fashionista lands the opportunity of a lifetime when the CEO of Mad Style hires her as the vice president of its youth apparel division.
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26.The Suite Life on Deck(2008)
7.7ComedyFamilyKids
Zack and Cody Martin are aboard the SS Tipton, a luxury passenger cruise liner owned by London's father. The ship cruises the world with tourists and students who attend classes at Seven Seas High, the one high school that London's dad thinks will make his daughter a better student. While out at sea, Zack and Cody…
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27.The Spectacular Spider-Man(2008)
8.6Action & AdventureAnimationKids
Having spent the summer engaging common criminals with his new-found powers, not so typical 16-year-old Peter Parker must conceal his secret identity and battle super-villains in the real world as he enters his junior year of high school.
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28.Knight Rider(2008)
7.5DramaAction & AdventureCrime
On the heels of NBC's hit movie, the iconic 1980s television classic comes roaring back to life as a reinvented, updated and super-charged action series showcasing the new KITT (Knight Industries Three Thousand). Absolutely the coolest car ever created, KITT is equipped with an "AI" (artificial intelligence) that is…
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29.Eli Stone(2008)
6.8Sci-Fi & FantasyDrama
Many lawyers consider themselves prophets, but Eli Stone may be the real deal. Eli has built a successful career at a top law firm in San Francisco representing only the biggest and richest corporations that make a habit of screwing over the little guy. But after experiencing a series of odd hallucinations, Eli seeks…
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30.Eleventh Hour(2008)
6.6DramaMysteryCrime
Dr. Jacob Hood is a brilliant biophysicist and special science advisor to the government who investigates scientific crises and oddities. His crusade is to protect the substance of science against those who would abuse and misuse scientific discoveries for their own gain.
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31.The Mighty B!(2008)
6.4AnimationComedyKids
The Mighty B! is an American animated television series co-created by Amy Poehler, Cynthia True and Erik Wiese for Nickelodeon. The series centers on Bessie Higgenbottom, an ambitious Honeybee girl scout who believes she will become The Mighty B if she collects every Honeybee badge. Bessie lives in San Francisco with…
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32.Life on Mars(2008)
6.4MysteryDramaSci-Fi & Fantasy
After a car crash, police detective Sam Tyler mysteriously finds himself transported back to 1973 and still working as a detective.
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33.Wallander(2008)
7.4DramaCrimeMystery
This drama follows Inspector Kurt Wallander – a middle-aged everyman – as he struggles against a rising tide of violence in the apparently sleepy backwaters in and around Ystad in Skane, southern Sweden. Based on the international best-selling books by Henning Mankell.
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34.Ashes to Ashes(2008)
7.7CrimeSci-Fi & FantasyAction & Adventure
Crime drama series featuring Life On Mars' DCI Gene Hunt. After being shot in 2008, DI Alex Drake lands in 1981, where she finds herself in familiar company.
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35.Lipstick Jungle(2008)
6.1DramaComedy
Lipstick Jungle is an American comedy-drama television series created by DeAnn Heline and Eileen Heisler for NBC Universal Television Studio. The hour-long series was based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Candace Bushnell, who also served as executive producer alongside showrunner/head writer Oliver…
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36.Fear Itself(2008)
6.8DramaMystery
A horror/suspense anthology series directed by the biggest horror directors working in feature films.
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37.Lark Rise to Candleford(2008)
8.4Drama
Set in the small hamlet of Lark Rise and the wealthier neighbouring market town, Candleford, the series chronicles the daily lives of farm-workers, craftsmen and gentry at the end of the 19th Century. Lark Rise to Candleford is a love letter to a vanished corner of rural England and a heart-warming drama series…
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38.The Inbetweeners(2008)
7.7Comedy
Suburban teenage friends Will, Simon, Jay and Neil, students at Rudge Park Comprehensive, attempt to navigate the social scene, attract members of the gentler sex, and saunter amongst the cool crowd. However, despite their best efforts, the four hapless lads usually end up on the side of the nerds.
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39.Wild China(2008)
8.0Documentary
The dazzling array of mysterious and wonderful creatures that live in China's most beautiful landscapes.
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40.Inspector George Gently(2008)
7.9MysteryCrime
Crime drama set in the 1960s about an old-school detective trying to come to terms with a time when the lines between the police and criminals have become blurred.
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